Friend A
by Animelover2514
Summary: A Christmas dabble I came up with. Alfred is afraid to overstep the restrictions that come with his role as 'Friend A' in Arthur's story and they both find out just how much a label can reveal.


**Just a little something I came up with. Tell me what you think because this is my first Hetalia fanfiction.**

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"Hey Arthur, what's your favorite color?" Alfred asked, interrupting Arthur's housework with his curious gaze. Alfred had come to Arthur's house the previous day planning a fun filled sleep over without the consent of the later. Needless to say, it didn't go as planned. Regardless Alfred had managed to stay well into the next day and was lounging lazily on the couch.

"Why do you ask?" Arthur replied, turning to face his guest with a look of confusion.

"It's just, we spend so much time together but don't know such trivial details about each other."

"We know plenty about each other."

"Do not! Just answer the question."

"Blue," Arthur stated simply.

"Eh, really?" Alfred breathed out, more to himself than to Arthur. He had always assumed it was green.

Arthur looked deep into Alfred's clear blue eyes. "Yeah, it's always been blue."

With that, he turned back to the task at hand making it clear that that was the only question he would answer for today.

"So," Alfred began, once again breaking the silence Arthur had created. "Tomorrow is Christmas Eve."

"And?" Arthur inquired, failing to see his point.

"Do you have any plans?"

"No, not really, why?"

"Then we should hang out!"

With a sigh, Arthur agreed, secretly happy about being able to spend more time with Alfred. Arthur had a long-standing crush on Alfred, but having never noticed any kind of reciprocation Arthur refused to call it love, reasoning that the term itself would bring about more pain when Alfred inevitably found a girlfriend. Thus, his feelings would always be referred to as a childish crush that he would keep a secret from everyone. Whenever asked whether or not he liked someone, the answer would always be no. It was easier this way, Arthur knew. Besides, he could do without the comments about being gay and whatnot. Such terms seemed rather foolish to him. Everyone was always so desperate to label everything. When you feel this way it is called that and when you feel that way, it is called this. No one could ever just _feel_. No one could ever like someone without having a label slapped over it, and if one was so inclined as to use these labels, the proper one to describe Arthur would be bisexual, though he suspected most would believe him to be gay considering the last time someone knew about any kind of romantic relationship between Arthur and a girl was, well, one loses track of so many years. Yet in a way Arthur knew that he had conformed to labels, after all, was he not the one refusing to label his feelings as love, believing 'crush' was the only acceptable label for this emotion?

Alfred, on the other hand, relied on these labels. These labels have and would continue to keep him up for many nights. See, if one were to label Alfred's sexuality, it would be gay. Unfortunately, not many were so excepting of this label, so Alfred covered it with another: straight. Hitting on girls, acting normal around his secret crush, fake crushing on another, Alfred did whatever needed to cover his true label, especially from his crush, who he thought to be either straight or asexual; he couldn't decide which was backed up with more proof. Either way, he felt it was highly unlikely that Arthur felt the same way about him. He would have to be content with the role of 'Friend A' in Arthur's story. He hung out with Arthur when he could, never allowing himself to stray from the character he assigned himself. No hug would last a second more than appropriate; the distance between them whenever they watched a movie would always remain a spacious gap. Alfred would dutifully fulfill the role of 'Friend A,' never to graduate into the role of the lover. He had to laugh, comparing his life to the cast of a movie, but if that is what it took for him to accept it, then that is what it would be.

"What are you chuckling about?" Arthur asked, faking annoyance at having been pulled out of his thoughts again. He could never openly enjoy such an interruption, now the rich sound of Alfred's chuckling.

"Nothing really. I was just thinking about something."

"Well do tell, you have already delayed my progress. A little longer wouldn't be tragic."

"You wouldn't want to hear about this one, I'm afraid," Alfred covered, grinning sheepishly.

Slightly disappointed, Arthur sent Alfred home. "Just swing by when you want to hang out," he had told the latter.

The next day, Alfred arrived at noon, not wanting to appear too excited for the day ahead.

"Dude, you have got to see this movie with me! I have been dying to see it!" Alfred pressed as the duo made their way down the street. Arthur rolled his eyes but agreed, enjoying Alfred's excitement.

The movie was a horror, big surprise there. From the corner of his, Arthur saw Alfred flinch when a shadowy figure appeared at the victim's door. He would never understand why Alfred had such an affinity for this kind of film. In a rush of courage, Arthur gave Alfred's hand, which had been clenched and resting on the armrest separating their seats, a reassuring squeeze. Both men were grateful for the darkness of the theater as a furious red tainted their cheeks. For Arthur, the gesture was meant to be reassuring and friendly, though he feared it gave away much more than that. For Alfred, it brought a slight hope that maybe, just maybe he could become the lover and leave 'Friend A' behind. Both were too wrapped up in hopes and fears to pay any more attention to the film, yet Arthur's hand never left Alfred's and it wasn't until the movie ended and the lights came back on that Arthur remove his hand, much to Alfred's disappointment.

The companions were left yet again to wander the streets. "Why don't we go back to my place?" Arthur asked through chattering teeth, the cold finally becoming too much for him. Alfred didn't need any encouragement.

Once safely inside the warmth of Arthur's home, Alfred was presented with a cup of cocoa that not even the brit could mess up and Arthur satisfied himself with tea, warming from the inside out. Not long after they fell into the comfort of the house, the clouds opened up giving London an unwelcome shower. The cold banged on the doors, searching for entrance. "What do you say we turn on the radio?" Arthur inquired, suddenly not comfortable with the silence between them. Alfred nodded and some classical music came on, much to Alfred's dismay.

"Isn't there anything else we could listen to?"

"Oh hush, some peaceful music is nice for these cold, rainy days.

Alfred reached over and searched through the stations until he found what he was searching for: Christmas carols.

"No way," Arthur said, reaching over to change the station back. Before he could, Alfred grabbed his reaching hand and pulled it away, in the process pulling Arthur to his feet. In the middle of the living room, Alfred danced, his movements happy and energized, pulling Arthur in. Before either of them realized what exactly they were doing, they were jamming out to 'Jingle Bell Rock.' As the song came to an end, Alfred dipped Arthur with one hand, the other excitedly shaking in an attempt to be a solo jazz hand.

Arthur sprung away as soon as he came to his senses and straightened his clothes out trying to hide the embarrassed pink that stained his cheeks from the other man.

The next song poured through the speakers, though neither seemed to care because in one move Alfred destroyed the image he had worked for since the moment he fell for the other man. He kissed him. It was quick and sloppy and unexpected and before Arthur could even register what had happened it was over and Alfred was half way to the door.

As Alfred reached for his coat a pair of arms wrapped him into a warm embrace from behind. Turning in the other's arms, Alfred faced Arthur who was looking off to the side, clearly struggling to contain the embarrassment that was slowly overcoming him. Looking down at the shorter man, Alfred returned the hug, unconcerned with how long it would last. His role had been tossed aside and he wasn't sure just which one was left for him to fill.

Looking up into the blue eyes of his long-term companion Arthur finally spoke. "Crap. If you do things like that I won't be able to disregard this as a silly crush anymore."


End file.
